Erased
by ughIcantthinkofausername
Summary: It's happened before, and when the Serpentine find out, they're more than happy to take advantage . . . find out what happens when our favorite nindroid is Erased. Rated for some blood later on. Takes place before "The Last Voyage," keep that in mind. (Oh BTW - I don't own Ninjago, no matter how much I want to.) FINALLY UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

"The only reasssssson I'm about to do this," the figure hissed, "isss becaussssse I _hate_ you."

The last image I saw was the snake's venomous fangs smirking down at me, and then –

My entire life was gone.

x:x:x:x:x:x:x

"Hello, Zzzzane."

I open my eyes to see a purple figure standing over me. I hazard a guess . . . "Father?"

My dad smiles down at me. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. That was some knock on the head you took."

"Knock on the head?"

He looks down at me, concerned. "You mean you don't remember? Do you remember me?"

I look at him carefully. "N-no." I can't believe it. I don't remember my own father. I can feel myself start to cry.

"Shhhhhhhhh. It's okay, Zzzzane. Don't cry. We'll get those nasssssty ninja."

"Ninja?"

"Yesssss, sssson. The four ninja who attacked you and did thisss to you have been lifelong enemiessss of our family."

I sit up. "But why would anyone be your enemy?"

Father sighed, his purple scales glittering in the lamplight. "I don't know, sssson. There are sssssssome people out there who are jussst evil. Yearssssss ago, the ninja banished our people here, imprisoning ussss in thisss lonely desssssssert."

This does sound familiar. But somehow, I feel like I remember something more . . . another side to the story . . . but Father has told me all I need to know. "I will get revenge on these evil ninja. I will begin training at once."

I swear I see a smile flash across Father's face, and I know I remember him, but I just can't bring the memory to mind. But the smile is soon replaced with a look of concern.

"You sssshould ressssst now," he says, worried.

"I feel fine. Honestly, I cannot even tell where they hit me."

"Good," he responds, "good . . ."


	2. Chapter 2

(Cole's POV)

I can't believe it. I planned every move of that battle perfectly. I'd spent weeks staying up improving my strategy, taking everyone's strengths and weaknesses into account. And still I had managed to lose Zane.  
Yes, it is my fault. No, really. I'm the leader. It's my job to make sure that everything runs smoothly, that everything goes as planned, that every man is accounted for.  
So how could I let this go so horribly wrong?  
Actually, I remember exactly how it went wrong. I haven't been able to get the scene to stop replaying in my mind since it first happened just yesterday.  
_It was a simple battle. Only two tribes were there and we'd know what they'd been planning for weeks. Meaning we had the element of surprise on our side.  
We hid behind a dumpster outside City Hall. I reviewed the plan to the others. "Okay, if the Serpentine have their way, this place'll be rubble in an hour. Kai and I will guard the door. Jay and Zane, you wait inside in case they find another way in. Ready?" They all nodded.  
Looking back on it, I don't even know why I considered splitting up. When the Serpentine finally did show up -  
_"Cole? You okay?" Nya walked up to me. "You've been staring at that sushi for a solid five minutes."  
Everyone is staring at me. Great. I just love attention.  
"Just thinking. Sorry.  
Kai responds understandingly, "I guess we're all a little preoccupied. Last night . . . That did _not_ go as planned."  
_I know!_ I want to scream. _I know, it's all my fault!_ But I know that isn't what Kai meant, and vent my anger instead into destroying a particularly undercooked sushi. I really am a terrible cook.  
Jay speaks up. "Are you sure you don't want to help us plan the rescue?"  
I've said this a thousand times. "Man, you have no idea how much I do NOT want to plan."  
"Whatever you say."


	3. Chapter 3

**Important - in this story, the Serpentine are still following Pythor, not Scales. This starts in Zane's POV.**

I cut off the fourth dummy's head, and line up four more for the same drill. I have trained for hours and could train for days more without rest if it meant this scene would play out in battle. My father has taught me that vengeance is the only way to get justice and restore my family's honor. If that is what it takes, I will do it, just as my father has done everything for me. It is what he deserves.

"Well done, ssssson, well done." The sound of his voice soothes me, curbs the adrenaline, and makes me feel at home.

"Thank you, Father. I have been practicing hard."

"That issss plain to ssssssee. Thissss isss why I have a gift for you, Zzzane." He reaches into a case and removes two gleaming, silver stars. "Your old sssshurikenss. I recovered them from the battle."

"Oh, thank you, Father!" I cry out as I run to hug him. The throwing stars feel familiar in my hands, and when I throw one it hits the practice dummy straight in the heart.

My father loos at me seriously. "Ssssson," he says, "I believe you are ready for battle. Do you wisssh to fight the ninja?"

"Oh yes!" I yell, jumping up and down in my excitement. Finally, I can face the evil that took my past away from me. I have been looking forward to this moment for a long time. I cannot wait to prove myself to my father.

"Tomorrow," he tells me, "you will lead our army to attack the home of the ninja. Have no merccccccy."

I cannot stop smiling. "I will make you proud, Father.

He smiles back. "I know."

x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x

(Jay's POV)

I wake up first. It's a weird feeling, usually Zane would be up by now.

Oh duh - Zane! I wake the others.

"Hey guys, c'mon! Today's the day, remember? We should be at the Serpentine hideout any minute!" Wow. Kai got up wothout even arguing. I decide to let Cole sleep a little longer - he's been pretty stressed out lately and I can't blame him. Kai and I quietly get dressed and tiptoe out to the ship's deck, to see how soon we will reach Serpentine headquarters. I call up to Kai, "How far away - "

"Oh no." Kai calls out, "Jay? You might wanna see this."

I run up to the ship's deck and see -

Serpentine. Lots and lots of Serpentine. When I see who's leading them, my heart jumps into my throat.

"Is that - ?"

Kai nods. "Zane."

x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x

(Cole's POV)

I wake up to Jay slapping me in the face. "What the - "

"There's an army of snakes outside and they're about to attack and there are like a thousand of them but Zane is leading them and Pythor probably switched his memory off and we don't want to hurt him but we have to defend the ship and we can't just let them win but he's our friend and now what're we supposed to do?" Jay finishes, panting.

I grab my scythe and uniform. "i'll meet you in 5," I say. "Until then, just do what you need to do to hold them off."

Great. Just what I needed. And I can't afford to freak out like Jay, eventhough I want to more than anythin. Because I'm Cole, the leader, ninja of earth. Solid, steady, sure. Yeah.

. . .

Let's just get this over with.

**Ewww . . . I felt sick writing this chapter, how Zane looks up to his so-called "father," Pythor.**

**Just a quick note - the shurikens Pythor gives to Zane are not his old silver ones. He tells Zane that they are his old ones to make himself seem like a nicer person. He didn't want Zane to have his golden weapons, as they were too strong of a link to his friends, his past, and his identity, and it was too risky - he was afraid he might trigger past memories, or the other ninja could use them to convince Zane of the truth about his past.**

**Anyways, so glad I finally got a longish chapter up. I felt bad posting such short ones.**


	4. Chapter 4

(Cole's POV)

I got ready as fast as I could, but I still took about 10 minutes to get to the top deck. Give me a break, I had a lot on my mind. I'd screwed up way worse than I'd thought. I hadn't just let him get kidnapped. I'd let him be . . . erased. I'd seen what finding out the truth had done to him the first time. It was awful. To walk into that room and just see Zane sitting on the floor, defeated, crying . . . it just wasn't right. I don't want to put him through that again.

But there are a lot of things I have to do, even if I don't want to. Like how I have to lead. have to make my friends go into battle. I have to watch them get hurt and almost die.

And like how I have to fight my best friend who won't even recognize me.

Maybe you're thinking it would be better than way. At least he hadn't betrayed me, or me him. At least he didn't hate me.

But just to see him there, not even remembering . . . well, I'm not Lloyd. I can't say which of our situations is worse: Garmadon who remembers, or Zane who doesn't. But we've both gotta do what we've gotta do.

I run up to the top deck just in time to see Kai fall.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter explains what was happening in the battle before Cole got there, from Jay's POV. WARNING - SOME GRAPHIC VIOLENCE. To avoid any confusion, I'm just gonna remind you now that this takes place before "The Last Voyage." It'll make sense why that matters in a minute. Enjoy! (Or rather, don't enjoy. If you enjoy this chapter, you are a sick, twisted person. But you know what I mean.)**

_Okay, calm down Jay_ I think to myself as Kai and I run into battle_. Sure, they outnumber you a thousand to one, and they've got a whole army, and your brother is leading them, but you can totally do this._ Right . . . thanks a **lot**, me.

Kai turns to me, still looking confused. "Are you sure that's all he said?"

"Yep. 'Do what you need to do to hold them off, and I'll meet you in 5.' That's the definition of leadership right there."

Kai gives me a stern look. "He's just under a lot of pressure. After the whole fiasco at Town Hall - "

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I sigh. "But what's the battle plan?"

"Jay, what's always my battle plan?"

I stare at him blankly. "Um . . . run in without thinking and hit everything with scales?"

"Exactly."

". . . What about Zane?"

Kai thinks for a minute. "We don't want to hurt him. If his memory _is_ off, he doesn't know what he's doing. We ned to figure that out first. And if not, why he's fighting us." I nod, and the battle begins.

There are serpentine everywhere. I didn't even know there were this many of them. It's kinda gross, actually. But mostly terrifying. Venomari came at me from all sides, and if it weren't for Kai I'd have been dead meat. We spinjitzu our way through the crowd, but when we're done it's like we didn't even make a dent.

When we finally get to Zane, Kai's twisted his ankle and my arm is bleeding. But the worst part is Zane.

I admit, I had kinda hoped his memory was wiped. At least he wouldn't be knowingly fighting us, knowing who we were. But know I'm not so sure that's what happened.

Because the look Zane's giving us now is one of pure hatred.

"Uh . . . hi?" I begin warily. "Do you uh . . . AH!" I scream as the first shuriken misses me by a hair's breadth.

I swear he's gotten better. Not that I've ever beaten him in sparring, but he and Kai are usually pretty evenly matched. Yet it's all the two of us can do to block Zane's attacks.

Kai's already broken a sweat. "Zane, l-listen. Do you - remember us?"

Zane stares him straight in the eyes and redoubles his attack. "Why, do you wish to know if you succeeded?"

"What are you -"

"Oh, don't play dumb. Father told me all about your little ambush. Rest assured, I won't let it happen again."

Okay, now I'm confused. "Father? Zane, you said your dad -" Then Kai just points and I follow his gaze to see . . .

Pythor. Oh, that dirty rat. I can't believe he convinced Zane . . . I'm seriously going to kill him. If Kai doesn't kill him first, because he looks like he's about to explode.

"Zane," Kai yells, "He is NOT -"

But he doesn't finish. Instead, all I hear is a little choked sound. All I see is the silver shuriken buried deep in Kai's shoulder, and the blood spurting out around it, staining Zane's clothes as he laughs.

I'm not sure how I got Kai out of there. But the next thing I knew, we were back on the Bounty, Cole staring in disbelief.

"Nya!" I yell. "Get us out of here!"


	6. Chapter 6

(Pythor's POV)

_Well done, ninja, well done. _The red ninja pest and his annoying friend scurry off like cowards at the sight of blood. _This is going to be easier than I expected._

x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x

Three weeks ago, a young Serpentine lieutenant had come to me with some . . . intriguing information. The ninja of ice, the boy they call Zane, was in fact not a boy at all.

A robot! Ah, how could I have not seen this coming? No wonder he could fight with such precision, and always one step ahead of your every move. All that "sixth sense" nonsense was just a big cover up all along. Surely only a fool would believe any of that fool Wu's mystic spirituality gobbledigook.

But how to use this? Yes, always thinking, always strategizing - nothing comes before the great Pythor that cannot be his strength, nor the enemy's weakness.

And that's when I called the lieutenant back, ordering him to tell everything he knows. The story became more fascinating by the second - and, all along, more exploitable.

"They were in a forest, sir," he began. "The boy had found his way into a peculiar hollow tree - it must have been someone's home, though a pitiful one at that. Forgive me, Your Cruelness..." Ah, it's good to be king. "... I wold have seen more, but his pesky 'brothers' came running and I was forced to hide nearby."

From that point on, I could hardly believe my ears. The young snakoid told of gigantic monsters called "treehorns," and the boy flying 50 feet in the air to stop them. But none of this did me any good.

"Did you learn nothing else?" I demanded. The young lieutenant quivered in fear.

"Oh! Oh, no sir, no sir! They did talk afterwards. The boy in white, he said... something about remembering now, where he hadn't before."

"Oh? You've peaked my interest. Perhaps you're due for a promotion." The youngling smiled gratefully. "But first - if I may ask, **what does it matter to me?**"

"He... well, h-he said he re-remembered... 'everything'..."

_Everything?_ I immediately discovered what the lower officer could never have seen. It was as if the story unfolded before my eyes.

"Very well. You may go." I waved the youngling off, wishing to be left to my own thoughts.

"Oh, thank you, thank you master Pythor! You are by far the most gracious leader - "

"I SAID GO!" I watched in satisfaction as he dashed for the exit. "Yessir right away sir whatever you say sir."

Finally, I was rid of the annoying brat. Now where was I... ah yes, the dramatic part:

I immediately discovered what the lower officer could never have seen. It was as if the story unfolded before my eyes.

Any android, or computer for that matter, must have some sort of memory circuit. And any circuit must have a way to turn it off. Now if the droid, with no apparent memory of its past, could figure out how to turn this circuit _back on_... why then, how hard could it be?

x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x

Ah Pythor, you sly dog. They don't call you an evil mastermind for nothing.

Now, for Phase B. This is going to be fun.

* * *

**I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN SO LONG! Followers, are you still there? Hello? Remember me?**

**In other news I... called Zane... "it"! I'm sorry, Zane :(**

**Stay tuned!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I know Pythor didn't talk like a sssssssnake last time, I forgot to stretch the "s"s. I'd go back and change it, but in retrospect I think it would be distracting.**

**My excuse - to Serpentine, the way they talk sounds normal.**

**Well here you go, this just came to me one morning and I got it all written in an hour, but personally I'm very satisfied with it. Still tell me what you think! I don't mind flames or constructive criticism.**

**No action this chapter, more introspective, but still I hope you like it.**

(Zane's POV)

Ever since it happened, I could not stop it replaying in my mind.

The boy's face.

His blood on my hands.

His friend's scream.

I never wanted to kill anyone.

Did I?

_"I will get revenge on these evil ninja."_

But is this the revenge they deserve? I gain nothing from this.

That boy in blue...

His expression will be forever etched in my memory.

Eyes wide.

Mouth screaming in horror.

Staring at the fountain of blood that was his ally. Perhaps his friend.

I could have killed him then and there. In his shock he had let his guard down completely. I could have finished the job. I could have been rid of him.

But I hadn't.

_Why?_

I have been asking myself the same question for the past hour as I paced my room, though I have long since found the answer. But I refuse to let myself believe it.

_The sorrow, the hatred, the fear in that boy's eyes..._

No. No, it cannot be true...

_Is that what Father had felt when they had attacked me?_

Of course it was. What kind of family would not? And I saw it in the boy's eyes - he had felt the same about his friend.

But then...

Was it any more right to attack the, than for them to attack me?

Revenge...

_"You have alwayssss been a ssstrong warrior, ssssson. You have exacted revenge and gained honor for our family far more timesss than you could imagine. I only wisssh you could remember..."_

Then had some part of me changed? The boy my father describes could never be me. Was some component of my personality gone along with my memory?

_The full story will be revealed if you be who you are, and not who you seem._

But what was that supposed to mean? Sometimes it's as though my thoughts are not my own, as if someone else were thinking for me. Perhaps some distant memory, beginning to return. . .

But it's all pure nonsense. "Who you are, not who you seem..." I am not even sure which _is_ me, ans which is an illusion. Am I still who I once was, the boy Father tells me I am?

Perhaps I will never know.

I discard the thought. Just nonsense I made up while I wasn't thinking, as insignificant as any imagined dream.

. . .

The dreams.

I have to believe the dreams are not real.

Nightmares - the most vivid dreams. They feel more real than the life I am living.

Father attacking me, his whole army against me. And me, at - at _their_ side. The ninja - in every dream, I am one of _them_.

In some dreams I defeat Father. In some he defeats me. But in al, the compassion is gone from his eyes and we fight as bitter enemies.

I haven't told Father of the nightmares, and I never plan to. It would break his heart to know that every night, he becomes the enemy, and those evil ninja, my allies.

And it would kill him to know that every day when I wake up, part of me wants to go back to sleep. Back to dreams.

Dreams that, in that moment, I love more than my real life.

Dreams that are the reason that, more than I fear any army, I fear myself.

* * *

**I hope this character development works. I wanted to show that Zane is still intrinsically himself. And in case it was unclear - his sixth sense is trying to tell him who he really is.**

**Opinions? Criticism? Flames? Review!**

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